Men At Work accused of copying Girl Guides song

Colin Hay, the frontman for the 1980's Australian band Men at Work, is seen in Orillia, Ontario, Canada, in this July 23, 2003, photo. (AP Photo/CP, Frank Gunn,)

Music Publisher claims 'Down Under' steals from the children's song

Australian band Men At Work are being sued by a music publisher who claims their massive 1983 worldwide hit ‘Down Under’ plagiarises a song originally written for the Girl Guides.

Publisher Larrikin Music is suing record labels Sony BMG and EMI for breach of copyright, as well as seeking royalties from song.

The publisher claims that the Men At Work track, which was Number One in the UK, US and Australia, borrows unlawfully from ‘Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree’, which was written for the Girl Guides in 1934 by Marion Sinclair.

Men At Work dispute Larrikin Music‘s claims that it bought the publishing rights to ‘Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree’ in 1990, reports BBC News.

However, a Sydney judge has sided with the publisher and allowed a plagiarism case to go ahead.

Larrikin Music began the action after a television quiz show in Australia showcased the alleged similarities in 2007.